Progress is wibbly-wobbly, and sometimes a surprise
Progress isn’t linear and it doesn’t always show up where or when you expect.
Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: unrealistic expectations part 1
Placing expectations on yourself, because you know yourself best and you know what you should be capable of…right? And then you don’t meet those expectations…and that’s not so nice.
Practice journal reflections for musicians - play and curiosity
Today’s practice reflections brought to you by finding play in our practice and trying things just to see what happens.
Three things I never skip in my flute warm up
Three things I don’t skip in my warm ups. I consider these extremely useful tone exercises for resonance, tone colour, depth of tone, dynamics, flexibility, and more. When I started using these in my own practice, I noticed a difference rather quickly, but that of course came with consistency with using them along with my other warm up activities.
Just as the saying goes, “don’t skip leg day” - I don’t skip these. So let’s get going with a few of my favourite things.
Pre-practice prompts (and things to try)
Some pre-practice prompts and some things to try for today.
Sight-Reading Tips for Musicians
I’ve grown to love sight-reading, so here are some of my favourite tips!
Thoughts from a recovering perfectionist: mistakes
The music lesson is one of the prime places to make the mistake.
Why?
If we don’t hear/witness/become aware of a problem, we can’t diagnose and find solutions that work for you.
My journey finding improvisation (+ a free resource!)
Improvisation used to be scary for me.
Well first it wasn’t, then it was, and now it’s definitely not.
When you’re told to just make up anything, that can instil some major indecisiveness. Such indecisiveness can make you freeze up. This is my journey with/to/finding improvisation, and a free resource with my favourite starter improvisation prompts.
Memorization tips for musicians
My memorization tricks!
These are three tools for memorization that I use that can help with reinforcing memory-work in music, and starting the challenge of memorizing music.
Interleaved Practice: be more effective in the practice room
I’ve got a problem with block-practice.
How I stumbled into changing my practice routine to the interleaved method, and how you can benefit from this style of practicing.
Practice journal reflections (after a break)
Practice reflections to consider when coming back after a super solid break (or any time really)
As I always believed, when coming back from an extended break, take time to be kind and rewind (a la Blockbuster Video)
So here are a few to think about to help get the most out of coming back home to your practice.
The Performer’s Mind-Palace
Creating performance mind-palaces where you feel most powerful.
Practice journal reflection ideas for musicians - part 2
More practice reflection prompts to consider before or during your practice to remind you of your motivation, your presence, notice any stress or tension, and bringing joy or at least neutrality and calmness into your practice session with your instrument.
Practice journal reflection ideas for musicians
Did someone say journaling?
Okay so maybe it’s journaling-lite.
Here are some reflection questions I like to use for myself, and the people I work with to think about how we practice.
No deadlines? Want to play but stuck? Here’s how I set practice goals without external motivation
Do you ever find yourself at a loss of what to practice when you don’t have any outside deadlines but still really want to play?
Be kind, rewind: how to come back to your instrument after a break
If you’re taking a break from playing either intentionally or unintentionally, this one is for you.
Four steps to work on rhythm
✨COUNT IT
🟣SING IT
🟦MOVE IT
🎶PLAY IT
3 ways to use colours to help you learn music
Let’s talk about 3 different ways you can use colours to help you learn music.
Tuesday tips: how to build a new habit - part 5
It’s the final week of my tips on habit-(re)building series!
What is it?✨
Having an accountability person (or group), or “the buddy system”!
Tuesday tips: how to build a new habit - part 4
Another suggestion for forming a new habit here for consideration🌸
Be gentle with yourself, especially if you’re like me and have perfectionist tendencies.